Kickin' It is Harder Than You Think
by musicfuhreak
Summary: "Ha sometimes you're such a blonde, Kim!" Jack said, causing the rest of the gang to laugh. Kim forced out a chuckle. She knew it was just a joke, but it hurt her inside. It hurt...so much. Well that's just another thing to pile onto her crumbling facade.
1. Flimsy Floaty Fluttery Pieces

**This is my first fanfic, even though I have been on this site for a while as a fellow reader and reviewer! I hope you enjoy and tell me what you think!**

**Rated T for language! So...if you don't like curse words...then this isn't going to float your boat.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It or any of its characters  
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><p>"Hya! Kya! HA!" Kim yelled while tackling the training dummies. They all toppled to the floor without bouncing back. The rest of the guys weren't even surpised anymore. They knew Kim and Jack were the best in the dojo. Everybody knew.<p>

"And that's how you do it!" she said with a smirk.

"Very nice form Kim," Rudy complimented.

"Why thank you Rudy!" Kim smiled. "Your turn," she whispered in Jack's ear as she strutted to the bench.

Jack rolled his eyes while hopping onto the musty mats."Pssh, I got this!"

After picking up the dummies, Jack arranged them in a row and took his stance in the center. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he jumped and extended his leg to kick every dummy's face as he spun in a circle. They all fell down with a domino-like thud. Everyone stood there with their jaws dropped. No one ever got used to his skills no matter how many times he's showed them off. Jack smirked and walked into the boy's locker room without saying a word.

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><p>The next day at school, Kim was over at her locker. After entering her combination and opening the metal door, several pieces of paper fluttered to the floor. <em>What's this? <em>She bent down and picked the crumpled papers up and opened them. The characters looked as if they were written hastily, not exactly sloppy, but they seemed rushed. One of them, written in smeared black ink, said:

"_Go back to Tennessee, slut."_

Kim's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. he picked up the next one and read it:

"_Blonde dumbass, no one cares about you...especially not your dojo...especially not Jack. So just go away, or better yet – go kill yourself."_

Another:

"_You self-centered bratty bitch."_

AND another:

"_Stop hogging Jack, you ugly whore. He's mine."_

Her body felt like it was suddenly slammed by a truck. Her insecure feelings began to leak out of her mind. Kim's eyes flooded with tears as she read every single word of each note.

_Am I really like this? _She thought to herself,_ Am I really a burden on everyone? _

_A burden to Jack?_

She began to slowly accept these harsh words as tears began to prick at her eyes. She felt afraid. Truly afraid. Kim Crawford, the strong bossy tough girl, who is a black belt in martial arts, was afraid and insecure.

This wasn't like her. Kim Crawford was not the vulnerable, sensitive type of girl that squealed with every insult, well on the outside anyways. Inside, she was still a sensitive, self-conscious teenage girl stuck in puberty hell. When people insult her, she usually doesn't let it get to her. But she still longed for approval. She lived to make others happy and putting their wants and needs in front of her, no matter how conceited and selfish she seemed. So these messages meant she failed at making her loved ones happy. She was a failure.

She slid down her locker onto the ground with her face in her hands.

Suddenly she heard the voices of her friends from the rest of the dojo down the bustling hallway.

"I'm telling you," Milton said, "Rudy does not-"

"No one cares!" Jerry cut him off.

"Okay guys now shut up!" Eddie screamed, his voice sounding clearly annoyed.

"Let's just go fetch Kim. I think she's at her locker," Jack said.

Panicked that the boys will see her like this, Kim snatched up all the notes, stuffed them into her bag, then slammed her locker shut and ran to the girl's bathroom, where she spent the rest of the day sulking and crying.

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><p><strong>Sooo what do you think? Reviews?<strong>

**Next chap will be up soon! =]**


	2. Fake Smiles

**Awww thanks for the reviews guys! I never really understood why they were so valuable to other authors...until now! They mean so much and give me motivation. =]**

**And here's your gift!**

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><p>After school, the boys were practicing in the dojo when Jack asked, "Hey where's Kim? She's usually never late!"<p>

"You're right!" Jerry replied, "Isn't she like usually the first one here so she can get a head start on training?"

"Yup, unless...she comes here with Jaaaack!" Eddie said as he nudged Jack. "Get off!" Jack slapped Eddie's elbow away. "We're JUST friends, and SHE'S the one that likes ME! Not the other way around!" he scoffed.

"Mhmm," the rest of the guys said in unison. Jack decided to go Kim-like and jerked towards the gang, causing them to flinch and hold their hands up in defense. "Mm that's what I thought," he muttered.

A couple of moments later, Kim bursted through the door in a rush. "Hey Ki-" Jerry greeted but was cut off when she walked into the girls' locker room before he could even finish his sentence. "Hey Jerry, how are you? Oh I'm spiffy! Thanks for asking and saying hello," he grumbled to himself.

"What's up with her?" Eddie asked.

"Mayyybe it's her time of the month?" Milton suggested.

"I HEARD THAT!" Kim's loud voice echoed from the locker room.

"Heh, sorry Kim." Milton scratched his neck nervously.

"She's probably just having a bad day," Jack replied, "Sooo, who wants to spar with her?"

Everyone replied a quick, "NOT ME!" except Milton, who wasn't fast enough. "AWW MAN! Why is it always me?" he complained, shaking his head in shame.

The door from the locker room swung open, and out came Kim in her gi.

"Um Kim..why are you wearing your gi? We're not in a tournament," Eddie questioned then immediately shielded his face, thinking that she was going to hit him.

"I'm just in that gi-wearing type of mood, ya know?" Kim replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She tugged her sleeves down a bit.

Jack eyed her suspiciously.

"Can we just pair up and spar please? I have to let out some steam," Kim said hurriedly. She knew Jack was observing her, so she tried to act normally.

"Okay," everyone obeyed. Over the months, they learned the right and wrong times to mess with Kim, and right now, messing with her would be like a Kamikaze mission.

Jack and Jerry were up first. Jerry lunged for Jack, but he just stepped to the side letting Jerry collide with the mat. And that was the match! "Woooowww," the rest of the gang shook their heads in shame.

Next, Eddie sparred with Milton since Rudy wasn't in the dojo and there was an odd number of people. Rudy was probably in his man cave doing something crazy. But this fight only lasted maybe a minute or so as Eddie easily pinned Milton's scrawny body down onto the mat.

Afterward was Milton and Kim. "Please go easy on me Kim," Milton pleaded. "Okay, I'll go easy," Kim said as she took her stance. Milton felt a little relieved, but was still worried about her pummeling him into the ground. Kim was the first to attack with her kick, but to everyone's surprise, it was sloppy and inaccurate, even Milton could tell! He ducked as Kim's foot missed and flew over his head, then he grabbed her leg and flipped her. She landed on the ground making a loud thud. "Ow," Kim said while rubbing her butt.

"Go Milton!" Eddie and Jerry cheered. Milton's face was filled with glee! "I did it!" he cheered while jumping around.

"Um Milton? Can we have one more go please? Just one more," Kim begged. She was way off her game and needed to redeem herself.

"Well...what's the worst that could happen?" he shrugged.

Milton gave her a hand so she could get up. Once again, they took their stances on the mat. This time, Milton was the one to make the first move since he was filled with new found confidence. He attempted a poor roundhouse kick that anyone could have dodged, but Kim reacted too slow. He ended up hitting her shoulder and sent her to the floor.

"Oh my gosh! I did it! Again!" Milton squealed with excitement. "Kim, you okay?" He asked after his victory dance - or should I say, Jack's victory dance, since everybody does it after winning.

"Yea, I'm fine. I'm just a little out of it," Kim replied nonchalantly as Milton helped her up. She looked over to the rest of the gang and their eyes were wider than Lady Gaga's in her Bad Romance music video and their mouths hung out so big, she swore an aquaglobe could fit inside! "Um guys?" Kim asked nervously, "You alright?" The boys immediately snapped out of it and nodded quickly. She then focused her attention on Jack, who also looked pretty shocked himself.

Jack broke the gaze between them, "Yeaahhh I think that's enough for today." He stretched, pretending to be tired. Whatever seemed to be bothering Kim was really affecting her performance. So he acted tired so practice could end early and that she could get a break.

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><p>"Kim are you okay? You seemed a little off your game today," Jack asked when he caught up to Kim after training was over.<p>

"Er yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."

"Really? Like what?"

"Um," her mind scrambled for an answer, "That big math test tomorrow! It's craziness!" Kim lied.

"Mhm, well okay if you don't want to tell me then I'll just leave," Jack sensing the falseness in Kim's voice turned to walk away.

"Wait! Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it. But please don't leave me," Kim was staring down at the ground now.

"Kim, we're best friends! Of course I would never leave you, I was just joking around. But you know you can tell me anything," Jack said softly.

"I know. I know. Can we talk about something else please?"

Jack took a good look at Kim. Even though she was not facing him, he knew that she was wearing a worried expression. Her petite frame was shaking and she was taking short rapid breaths.

"Okay," Jack sighed, "So what do you wanna talk about?" He wasn't going to let it go, but he dropped the subject just this once to give her one less thing to worry about.

"Donna Tobin's ponytail?" Kim replied with a smirk, finally turning to look at him.

"For the last time, it's a FRENCH BRAID!" Jack argued, even making the hand gestures of a braid onto his lush brown hair. Kim laughed. Like a REAL laugh, which is something she hasn't done in a long time. She gazed up at his warm eyes and bit her lip. Everything about him was just so perfect, what are the chances of someone like him to like someone like her? _No_, she mentally stopped herself, _I can't think like this about him, especially not now! _She turned her focus back on the conversation and relaxed as Jack casually put his arm around her shoulders. They talked like this all the way to her house, laughing and smiling.

He was Kim's temporary escape from her pain.

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><p><strong>Yeah, I decided not to let you guys in on Kim's feelings JUST yet. Please don't kill me! *holds hands up in defense*<strong>

**Lol, so how do you feel about this one?**


	3. The Ultimate Taboo

**Hey guys! I can't believe I got 16 reviews for one chapter! Can I get a hu-wa! Lol, well this chapter's a little short but I enjoyed writing it! I had fun with it. xD Hope you do too! This chapter is more of a filler. And thanks soo much for your support! Oh and I changed the chapter titles thingies, so don't be confused.**

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><p>Jack's fingers wrapped around the rusty metal knobs and lifted the polished wooden cover. He slid the cover back, revealing a row of glossy piano keys. That was one of his hidden talents. Music. His friends and followers, especially girls, were so obsessed with his karate skills, he didn't get the chance to tell them about his knowledge of music. Not even his dojo knows! In fact, he has been playing piano for about 6 years, since he was in the 3rd grade. Along with karate, playing the piano was his way to think, and right now all he was thinking about was Kim. For a moment, he stopped worrying about her and pondered on what piece to play. Maybe he should do a modern artist like OneRepublic, or a classic, like Beethoven. After a few moments of deciding, he chose to play Apologize by OneRepublic and gently placed his fingers on the black and white keys.<p>

The music began.

This was Jack's favorite song to play, for this was his first REAL song that he had learned after finishing the kiddie books, and he knows it by heart. His fingers glided subconsciously over the keys as he lost himself in the music. His eyes were closed, and the mind was not present.

_Gone._

All that was left was a shell. The music notes flew into his head, and out the other end after its duty was done. Every few beats, there would be a soft thud beating into a rhythm. His foot was on the damp pedal which made the music echo, and every time he would press and release it with his foot, it would softly bang against the aged wood. The melody reverberated throughout the whole house, bouncing off the walls and returning back home to his ears. He was home alone, and that was the best time for him to play.

Jack never liked playing in front of people, even his family. Maybe it makes him self-conscious, or maybe he's afraid that he will make a mistake and people will judge him. Maybe he gets stage fright, but that's out of his character. Everyone views Jack as the cool confident kid. Well, like the saying goes, things are not what they seem, and Jack is certainly not what he seems.

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><p>A sigh escaped Kim's lips as she read and re-read the notes. She was snuggled up in bed with her knees to her chest, thinking. Just thinking. Why was she letting these flimsy pieces of papers get to her? It irked her so much, she wasn't herself anymore. The words <em>whore, slut, ugly, dumbass,<em> and_ bitch_ circled around her head, but one thing stood out...

_Go kill yourself._

She never really thought about that, well of course it had crossed her mind at least once in her lifetime. Everyone has considered it, even if they don't want to. That's just one of the unavoidable things the human conscience considers, and everyone has to deal with the inevitable. However, only a few actually give in and commit the ultimate taboo: taking their own life.

She looked down at her arm, covered in a wool sweater and slowly rolled the sleeves up. They revealed many red lines. Slashes decorated her tan skin, still fresh and not exactly scabbed over yet.

**Flashback**

When Kim went to the bathroom, she entered the nearest stall and slammed the door shut. This was all just too much at once for her. She grabbed her hair and let out a frustrated growl, tears streamed down her face. When she set her bag down on the floor, her pencil sharpener fell out. She bent over to pick it up, then noticed the way the razor gleamed in the light. Kim knew that some of the emo kids at school cut themselves and honestly thought it was stupid. But at the moment, it seemed very appealing. The sharp edge of the razor seemed to call out to her, and she gave in. Kim looked through her bag again to find a writing utensil. When she found a pen, she dug it into the sharpener, wedging out the sharp piece of metal. It fell to the ground with a cling, and she picked it up with fascination. She poked the corner to see how sharp it was, then lowered it down to her arm.

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this_, she thought. Was she pushing it too far? Was she overreacting? She didn't give a shit, and started to bear the blade down onto her arm, letting it pierce her skin. A red pearl oozed out of the cut, and Kim was instantly hypnotized. She did it again and again, reveling in the pain.

After a few cuts, she went to the sink and washed the blood off. Then she realized the guys would see her cuts at practice. Crap, they would kill her.

A thought burst into Kim's mind. Her gi.

A devious smile inched its way to her face as she headed to the dojo.

**End flashback**

Kim smacked herself, physically and mentally.

_Okay Kim, get yourself together. Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe you'll find out who wrote these darn messages, but if you don't, just let it go, it'll be alright, _she continued pep talking herself, _today was NOT your best karate day. I'm ashamed in you. You KNOW you can do better. Be better. Rise above. Now, deep breaths. _

_In. Out._

_Okay, good. Now girl, go get your beauty sleep._

_Or dream about Jack..._

After returning the notes back in her messy bag, she plopped her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes...

"Wait WHAT?"

_Hehe, goodnight Kim._


	4. Mother Nature

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! I was school supply shopping and preparing for the next big stage of my life...I might as well say it...**

**High school.**

***cue Tiptoe Through the Tulips from the movie, Insidious***

**Yeah, I'm freshmeat and I'm also doing the IB program, which I expect will be super tough, so starting September, my updates will be less frequent. =/**

**Anyways, I planned on making this chapter longer, but I decided to leave you hanging. Don't worry, I'll update fast for next chapter. =]**

**Also, thank you guys for all these AMAZING reviews! You guys are awesome! I can't believe I'm almost at 30! =D**

**Eh, I've bored you long enough, so here:**

**OH! P.S: I started a new story called Kickin' It in the Dark, so check that out. ;D**

**less than three  
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><p>Kim woke up the next morning feeling rejuvenated. She focused on the positive things to look forward to that day, like practicing at the dojo, getting to see her friends, and being able to spend more time with Ja - <em>No. Control your hormones, girl! <em>She even almost forgot about the locker notes.

Almost.

"Hey Ki...m?" Jack said confusedly as he greeted her at the front of the school, "Someone's awfully bubbly today."

"Yeah, I'm feeling great!" Kim exclaimed with a smile. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh, so what's the reason for this, uh, great mood?"

"Oh, you know, just appreciating life here. Stopping and smelling the roses, hearing the birds softly chirp, watching the sun set below the horizon...the usual," Kim said cheerfully.

"Um...okay then. I'll, er, see you in class," Jack spoke while slowly backing away. When he was out of sight, he broke into a run and headed straight to Milton's locker.

"Milton!" Jack shook his shoulders, "I think you're right! It's her time of the month!"

Milton looked at Jack as if he was wearing a polka-dot bikini, "What...the...phosphorous are you talking about?"

"Kim! I was just talking to her before I got here, and she's in a really giddy mood!"

"Um...that's a bad thing?" Milton was growing more and more confused by the second.

"YES! Yesterday she was all quiet and reserved and stuff, and today she's suddenly feeling great and appreciating life and how birds chirp and something about sniffing roses and watching sunse-"

"Woah there cocoa-mocha-cocoa," Milton cut him off, "Take a moment to catch a few breathers."

Jack obeyed, inhaling through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth. He repeated the process a few more times before speaking again, "My point is, a normal person can't be completely serious one day, and feeling amazing the next."

"Well, that's pretty common for a teenage girl like Kim. Her body is releasing more estrogen and her hormone levels fluctuate frequently which causes a drastic change in mood. She is also most likely ovulating, so she will seem bipolar for the next couple of days." Milton stated in his 'fact-telling' voice.

Jack stood there for a few moments looking completely dazed, "Uh...WHAT?"

Milton sighed and shook his head, "I'll dumb it down just a little bit... PUBERTY."

A flicker of recognition sparked in Jack's eyes, "Ohh, okay. So it's nothing to worry about?"

"Nope, just be ready to endure random changes in mood. So all we can do is just wait it out and let Mother Nature take its course!"

"Eww," Jack's nose scrunched in disgust.

"Well, we should get to class, so see I'll you at lunch, Jack!" Milton waved as they both parted ways.

"Alright."

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><p>Kim softly hummed to herself while routinely entering her combination to her locker. As she opened it, a folded up piece of paper drifted to the floor.<p>

_Not again!_

She bent down and picked it up. Preparing for the worst, she held her breath as she unfolded the worn, creased notebook paper.

"_Oh Kim, you think Jack is yours to keep just because you and your pathetic little dojo get to spend time with him. Ha, taking karate doesn't make you any better than everyone else. That little tough girl act, I can see right through it. Inside, you are just a worthless piece of shit._

_And you know it._

_Oh, and I just want to let you know, I'm watching you. So it's no use hiding._

_Until next time, send my love to Jack.  
>xoxo"<br>_


	5. Practice Makes Perfect

**Heyyllooo guys! I'm sosososooo sorry for the late update! I just got back from New York a couple of days ago, and thankfully, our house didn't get any damages! Even the flowers and the baby tree survived! Woo! But it's kind of strange, because all the other houses in my neighborhood had fallen trees and stuff. For those of you who prayed, I guess they were heard and we were protected! =] Thank you! And thank you all for your supportive reviews and wishes of luck! **

**Oh and to one reviewer who asked, no, Norfolk does not get tornadoes. That's why I was like, I can't believe they teach us that and not earthquake drills!**

**Also, school starts on Tuesday (EWWWWWWWWWWW), so updates will become slower, sadly. But I WILL still update, no matter what! Oh boy, it's going to be my first day of high school! New school, new building, new friends... *crawls into fetal position***

**Anyways, I hope this chapter is to your liking! I am not very fond of it, but oh well!**

**Review please!**

**Less than three**

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><p><em>*sigh* So much for trying to be optimistic today. <em>Kim mentally rolled her eyes at her conscience.

Rather than moping and cowering in fear, she squinted at the paper, trying to find any familiarity with the scrawly handwriting.

Nothing.

Nothing clicked. No flicker of recognition. No big dramatic montage where she gasps in slow motion realizing who the antagonist of her life was. No nothing.

_Well isn't that just dandy._

This is only the second day of the insulting notes, yet it felt like forever and a second to Kim.

However, she realized the previous night that although she received many notes that day, they all had the same penmanship. So, that means that all of the notes came from only one person. Being a strategic – minded straight A student, the brown-eyed blonde tried to put together what few puzzle pieces she had.

_Okay, so whoever is behind this is obviously a girl. Correction: a girl who likes Jack._

Kim felt a pang of envy and greed rush through her body for a split second before shaking it off and returning to the task on hand.

_She hates the Bobby Wasabi dojo_,_ and_ _apparently she knows I'm from Tennessee._

Everyone knew Kim was from the South, but only a few who knew her personally actually had knowledge of where exactly the "southern belle" originated.

_Hmm...who knows I'm from Tennessee? Well obviously the Bobby Wasabi gang, they're my best friends, but none of them are girls. I'm not sure if Donna Tobin and her little preppy girls know though. _

Donna Tobin was a pretty popular girl. She's in on all the gossip and all that goes around at Seaford High. If she wanted to know something, she would find out. It's as simple as that. So it is likely that Donna could know Kim's information.

_...But what about the Black Dragons? They are our dojo's numero uno enemy! _

Kim dug deep into her memories, searching for any female faces in the Black Dragons stash she locked up in the back of her mind. There was one other girl in that dojo that Kim used to train with, Amber Hope, but they weren't very close. Being the tomboy she was, Kim would always hang around the guys in her free time, only seeing Amber during karate.

_But that doesn't mean she's off the list of possibilities..._

Maybe Amber was trying to get revenge on Kim for ditching the Black Dragons for the Wasabi Warriors. She was still sort of skeptical about this suspect though. Amber had only seen Jack a couple of times when they would be heading to their separate dojos from school, but who knows, she could have a crush on him.

_Who doesn't?_ _I mean practically every girl falls head over heels for him!_

Another surge of anger swept through Kim's being, but disappeared as fast as it came as said girl took deep breaths to calm down.

Right when Kim was about to mentally add Amber onto the "list", she remembered that part of the note she was currently holding mentioned how 'taking karate doesn't make her any better than everyone else'. So it wouldn't really make sense for Amber to say that, since she too, takes karate.

_Okay...so scratch that. _

Just as Kim thought she was finally getting somewhere, she ended up debunking it. Kim sighed in frustration.

Before she could do anymore brainstorming, the late bell rang.

_Crap._

Kim busted running up the stairs to the second floor, which was now emptied of any students. She had English this period...which meant she had Mrs. Daughtry, who strictly enforces the tardy policy... and its disciplinary procedures. She zoomed through the hallways, her green converses squeaking on the floor with each sprint.

_Room 14B,_

_Room 15B,_

_Room 16B,_

_Room 17B,_

_Room 18 - HERE!_

Kim grabbed onto the wall to slow down and grasped the knob giving the door a mighty push, causing the old wood to slam against the wall behind it. She stumbled into the room and skidded her feet on the floor to a halt, causing a loud ear-piercing screech from her worn shoes. Every face in the classroom cringed at the noise and abruptly turned to the source of the ruckus: Kim.

"Miss Crawford, how nice of you to join us...2 minutes late," Mrs. Daughtry said sternly.

"Sorry, Mrs. Daughtry. I – um – er- uh - had an emergency...in the b-bathroom. Uh yeah...heh," Kim's voice trailed off into a nervous silence.

Mrs. Daughtry's eyes softened and she nodded in understanding. "Alright, Kim. Do you need to see the nurse?"

Kim shook her head furiously. "No no, it's fine. Thank you Mrs. Daughtry."

"Okay, now take your seat."

_Phew! There's some perks of being a girl. CHA!_

Kim wiped some sweat from her forehead then proceeded to her desk, which was situated behind her girl best friend, Grace, and in front of her boy best friend, Jack. As soon as she sat down, Jack leaned forward and whispered in her ear. His breath swayed her hair slightly, causing tingles to run shimmy up her neck and scalp.

"Hey, you okay? What happened in the bathroom?"

Kim quickly came up with one of the most widely accepted excuses ever, one that would make people stop pressing any further for information. "You know...girl stuff. Gotta hate Mother Nature, eh?"

Jack stiffened, then slowly slid back into his seat, not wanting to hear any more details.

Kim smirked.

_I'm starting to get a lot better at this lying thing, and God knows that a lot more will be coming out of this mouth in the future._


	6. Broken

**Hey guys! I know, I know, longest hiatus ever! I'm so sorry for putting you all through this, but I'm back! And oh my gosh, my writing was so horrible when I started this story! Maybe I'll improve the earlier chapters when I have time. So this chapter has been sitting in my folder for months, but I've never had the inspiration to finish it. So today I sat myself down and just started typing. I should be doing my 40 page reading for chemistry and my reading for AP euro which is horrible, but you guys are so much more important lol. Anyways, I hope my writing has improved a bit over the last few months. Happy Veteran's Day! :)**

**Less than three.**

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><p>Kim walked out of her 5th period and felt a yank on her left arm. "Ah – WHAT?" Kim choked out furiously. She then realized it was only Grace.<p>

"Girl, what's wrong?" Grace asked concernedly, "I can tell something's up."

"Er..."

Kim's eyes scanned through the wide hallway, looking for anyone she knew so she could make a break for an escape. No one. Nada.

She couldn't look Grace straight in the eye, because she knew that said girl could see right through her. Though she may be annoying and irritating at times, Grace had stuck with her since Pre-K and she could read Kim like a childrens' pop-up story book. Kim rubbed the tender spot on her arm where Grace grabbed her. Little crescents from Grace's fingernails were indented into Kim's light skin, surrounded by small blotches of red.

Well, it was no use trying to hide it from Grace, and Kim could really use some girl talk right now. She didn't want to bring it up with the guys just yet, obviously they would immediately blow up and want to beat up whoever was behind this without thinking rationally. And everyone knew how _that _would turn out. Well, maybe Grace could help her...it couldn't hurt...would it? Kim sighed in frustration. Since when did things get so complicated that she'd have to hide it from her best friend?

"Well..." Kim started her confession, but was immediately cut off.

"GRACE!" a female voice rang urgently.

The voice sounded so familiar, but Kim just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Oh hey!" Grace's back faced Kim as she turned around to greet the familiar chime.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but do you have any... stuff?" the voice clearly emphasizing the word 'stuff.' It was the code word that only females understood.

Kim tried to subtly lean around Grace to get a view of this mysterious person, but to no avail. She did not want to look like some stalker freak creeping over Grace's shoulder, so she just stayed awkwardly rooted in her spot listening to the conversation and trying to decipher who the voice belonged to.

"Yeah, I have some in my bag, come on," Grace said while she dragged the person towards the bathroom. Then she whipped her head around to glare at Kim.

"And you! We'll finish this later!"

Kim gulped nervously. As the pair began walking away, the other girl turned her head and sent Kim a toothy smile. "And nice to see you again, Kim!"

Then, Kim finally recognized her.

That voice that rung with familiarity, belonged to Amber Hope.

Practice at the dojo was a blur. Kim trained through all the basics like a robot. Her second nature karate would control her body but her mind would be at a faraway place. She didn't really talk to any of her friends and tried to keep herself busy to avoid interaction. Although, there was one move she couldn't get quite right.

"You need more torque, Kim!" Rudy stated in his teaching voice.

"What? What's that?" she asked as she did a spinning kick. She failed and fell on her butt.

"Ha, sometimes you're such a blonde, Kim!" Jack said, causing the rest of the gang to laugh. Kim forced out a chuckle. She knew it was just a joke, but it hurt her inside. It hurt...so much, it made her think of the notes and how Jack pretty much confirmed what they were saying. So all of those words were true. Well that's just another thing to pile onto her crumbling facade. She ignored his comment as if it didn't affect her. Jack lent her a hand and helped her up. Then he ruffled her hair.

"I'm just messing with you, I don't even know what that means!" Kim mumbled an "I know" and went back to work.

She sparred Milton with more force, trying to blow off her steam. She pushed her guilt for being hard on him to the back of her mind. He can handle it. Before she knew it, practice was over. She ran out of the place with her bag on her shoulder before any questions were asked.

* * *

><p>The door clicked shut and the blond girl slid to her knees with a sigh. Her mind was a jumble after the incident at the dojo and seeing Amber. She had never seen her former friend around the halls of school before. For all she knew, Amber attended a private school on the other side of town. So what was she doing at Seaford High? And more importantly, what was she doing with <em>Grace<em>, her best friend. A small pang of jealously itched at the back of her pile of what Kim called her 'mind'. She quickly shook it off and pushed it back into the sloppy mess, returning to wondering how in the world Amber knew Grace.

Maybe Amber was plotting against Kim and was using her unknowing best friend to her advantage.

Yeah. That's it.

Kim mentally slapped herself. She's blowing things way out of proportion and making things more complicated than it needs to be. She has been doing that an awful lot lately.

She heard a rustle above her head and looked up to see her mom standing before her. She jumped in surprise.

"Oh, you scared me!" Kim said breathlessly, putting a hand over her chest and giggling. Her smile soon faded when she noticed that her mother was frowning.

"Where have you been young lady?" the older woman demanded.

"A-at karate practice...I go there everyday, mom," Kim said nervously. Her mother has been acting very unusual for the past week, ever since her dad left to go on his business trip.

"Well, I don't want you to go there anymore," her mother stated.

There was an awkward silence while her mom's words sunk in.

"...WHAT!?" Kim shrieked, "WHY!?"

"It's a distraction from your academics, I checked your grades online and they've been dropping. And anyways, you don't need to waste your time on that. It's not lady like. That's why not many girls do karate."

Kim's jaw was agape.

"First of all, it is not a distraction from my academics, I still manage to maintain my straight A's-"

"But there are a few minuses," her mother interrupted. Ignoring her mom's comment, Kim continued, "Plus, karate is my life! I've been doing it since I was 4! You've seen me train! You know how dedicated I am! You can't take that away from me!"

Kim's mom sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm sorry sweetie, I'm just really stressed. You dad and I aren't exactly on the best of terms."

Kim froze. "W-why?" She was scared to hear the answer.

"It turns out, that trip he went on...wasn't for his work..."

At that moment, everything came crashing down.

Kim's lip quivered. "No...he couldn't have. He wouldn't do th-that!" Her voice cracked. "He...He cheated?" The last word made her stomach lurch.

Her mom enveloped her in a tight hug. Kim could feel her mother shaking and sniffling quietly.

"I found his emails. The traveling plans. The pictures. Everything...I called him and demanded he explain himself...He's not coming back, Kim."

Kim's eyes flooded at the news. Did that mean she would never see her dad again? She envisioned an empty seat beside her mom at her karate tournaments.

No one to teach her how to change the oil of her future car.

No one to teach her how to drive.

No one to fill the empty chair at her graduation.

No one to walk her down the aisle.

One less kiss goodnight.

Kim broke free from her mother's arms and bolted out the front door. She ignored her mom's yells for her to come back and just ran.

Ran, ran, and ran.

Eventually, she found herself in front of the glass doors of the dojo.

She got on her knees and searched through the potted plant beside the door until her hand found a key. Rudy told them that he would leave one there for emergencies and for when one of them needed late-night training. And to Kim, this was an emergency.

Her eyes were blurred with tears and she struggle to put the key in the lock. After many frustrated attempts, she finally got in and turned the key, hearing the comforting click of the lock opening. She put the key back in the plant and entered the dark dojo. Her hand blindly slid on the wall searching for the light switch. In an instant, the intimidating shadows transformed into dummies and training mats.

She sluggishly walked up to the nearest dummy and stared at it. She envisioned it's faceless head as her father. Anger soon filled her and she punched it with all the power she had.

"HAAAAAA!" she screamed as her hand impacted the dummy. Then all hell broke lose.

She punched and kicked and screamed at the dummy for what seemed like hours, never relenting. She pictured she was hitting her father for betraying her, hitting the stupid bitch he was with for taking him away from her, and most importantly, the unknown faces of the people that despised her, sending her those cruel notes. The last straw was pulled. She was broken. The sounds of impact mixed with her sobs echoed through the dojo, out the open doors, and into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Jack's POV<strong>

"Good job today, guys!" Rudy said enthusiastically. "Go home and get some rest. You all deserved it."

Jack gave Jerry a high-five and he was rewarded with Jerry's signature "WOOOOOO!" Jack noticed Kim in a rush to get her things and was starting to walk over there to talk to her. She hastily zipped up her bag and sped out of the dojo before he had an opportunity to say anything. Then he noticed a folded piece of paper on the ground by his feet. He assumed it fell out of Kim's bag. He picked it up and opened it with his callused hands. As he scanned the paper, his eyes slowly widened.

"What's wrong, man?" Jerry asked, noticing Jack tense up as he read the paper. "What's that?"

"I-I think someone's messing with Kim, dude. Look at this!"

All the guys surrounded him reading the note in Jack's hands. They were all horrified at the words that were written on it.

"Who do you think would write that?" Eddie asked in a shocked voice.

"What cruel scums!" Milton yelled.

"We gotta get to the bottom of this," Jack said determinedly, then stormed out of the dojo.

* * *

><p>After Jack finished his homework, he looked outside his window at the moon. It was nice outside, maybe he'd skate around for a little bit. He threw on a pair of jeans and his Seaford High pullover hoodie then grabbed his skateboard and headed out the door. It really was a nice night. The cool breeze that blew through him while he glided through the streets reminded him of the coming of autumn. Under the moonlight, he could see the silhouettes of the trees were already losing their leaves. The crickets chirped softly and the sounds soothed him. As Jack skated, his mind wandered to Kim. She was off at practice earlier and was unusually quiet. He felt kind of guilty about that comment he made about her blonde hair. He knew that she was really touchy about that subject. Jerry, on the other hand, learned the hard way...well he still hasn't learned, but he's still getting it the hard way. And that note...he couldn't believe someone could say such awful things to Kim! But she was strong, he was sure she would just brush them off.<p>

He decided to head to the mall to chill at the dojo for a while and practice. Rudy did tell everyone it was okay to practice there if anyone wanted to clear their heads. As he approached the dojo, he noticed the light was already on. The brunette hopped off his skateboard and cautiously walked towards the entrance. Maybe someone was trying to rob them. Jack instantly became alert and prepared his body to fight, until he heard the cries. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

They were Kim's.

Jack bolted into the dojo and saw the girl hunched over a dummy, punching it weakly and her body shaking with sobs.

"Kim?" Jack said in a quiet voice. He set down his skateboard and slowly walked up to her, not wanting to set her off. When he was finally beside her, he kelt down and wrapped his arms around her quaking body. Kim turned around and began hitting her fists onto his back, demanding he let her go, but he didn't.

Jack let Kim punch him. They were really soft, weak punches anyway. She must have really tired herself out. Kim finally gave up when she realized Jack wasn't letting go. So she just sat there and let his warmth and scent calm her down. He rubbed her back and gently "shh'd" her, no questions asked. When her cries turned into quiet sniffles she look up into Jack's brown eyes, filled with concern and worry, and said the words so softly he had to strain his ears to hear her.

"I'm broken."


End file.
